1.
Gaston Browne
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Gaston Browne is the 4th and current Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, in office since 2014. He led the Antigua Labour Party to victory in the June 2014 general election, Browne was born on 9 February 1967, in Potters Village on the island of Antigua. His life as a teenager was extremely tough, as a child, he lived in Grays Farm – commonly referred to as the ghetto on the island – with his paternal great-grandmother, who was in her eighties, at the time, partially blind, poor and aging. After her passing, he grew up in Point, another poor area on island. In 1999, Browne answered a call to promote the welfare of his fellow citizens by entering the political arena. He was duly appointed as the Parliamentary Representative for the Constituency of St. Johns City West, as a child, he attended the Villa Primary School and later the Princess Margaret School after successfully passing the nations common entrance examination. Gaston Browne led the Antigua Labour Party to victory in the 12 June 2014 general election, after 10 years in opposition, Browne was sworn in as Prime Minister on 13 June 2014. He defeated Baldwin Spencers UPP, which had ruled for 10 years, Browne is married to Maria Bird, niece of the second Prime Minister Lester Bird. The couple have a son, Prince Gaston Browne, who is Brownes fourth son, as he had three children prior to marriage

2.
Term of office
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A term of office is the length of time a person serves in a particular elected office. In many jurisdictions there is a limit on how long terms of office may be before the officeholder must be subject to re-election. Some jurisdictions exercise term limits, setting a number of terms an individual may hold in a particular office. Being the origin of the Westminster system, aspects of the United Kingdoms system of government are replicated in other countries. The monarch serves as head of state until his or her death or abdication, in the United Kingdom Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected for the duration of the parliament. Following dissolution of the Parliament, an election is held which consists of simultaneous elections for all seats. For most MPs this means that their terms of office are identical to the duration of the Parliament, an MP elected in a by-election mid-way through a Parliament, regardless of how long they have occupied the seat, is not exempt from facing re-election at the next general election. The Septennial Act 1715 provided that a Parliament expired seven years after it had been summoned, prior to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 parliaments had no minimum duration. Parliaments could be dissolved early by the monarch at the Prime Ministers request, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 mandated that Parliaments should last their full five years. Early dissolution is possible, but under much more limited circumstances. Hereditary peers and life peers retain membership of the House of Lords for life, Lords Spiritual hold membership of the House of Lords until the end of their time as bishops, though a senior bishop may be made a life peer upon the end of their bishopric. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are variations on the system of government used at Westminster, the office of the leader of the devolved administrations has no numeric term limit imposed upon it. However, in the case of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government there are fixed terms for which the legislatures can sit and this is imposed at four years. Elections may be held before this time but only if no administration can be formed, offices of local government other regional elected officials follow similar rules to the national offices discussed above, with persons elected to fixed terms of a few years. Federal judges have different terms in office, however, the majority of the federal judiciary, Article III judges, such as those of the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and federal district courts, serve for life. The terms of office for officials in state governments according to the provisions of state constitutions. The term for state governors is four years in all states but Vermont and New Hampshire, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported in January 2007 that among state legislatures,44 states had terms of office for the lower house of the state legislature at two years. Five had terms of office at four years,37 states had terms of office for the upper house of the state legislature at four years

3.
Vere Bird
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Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr. KNH was the first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. His son, Lester Bryant Bird, succeeded him as Prime Minister, in 1994 he was declared a national hero. He was an officer in the Salvation Army for two years, in 1943, he became the president of the Antigua Trades and Labour Union. He achieved national acclaim politically for the first time when he was elected to the legislature in 1945. He formed the Antigua Labour Party and became the first and only minister, first and last premier. His resignation was due to failing health and internal issues within the government, in 1985 Antiguas international airport, which was first named Coolidge, was renamed V. C. Bird International Airport in his honour, Bird was born in a poor area of St Johns, the capital. He attended the St. Johns Boys School, now known as The T. N and he was an officer in the Salvation Army for two years interspersing his interests in trade unionism and politics. In 1939, when the Antigua Trades and Labour Union was formed Bird was an executive member, by 1943 he had become president of the union and was leading a battle for better working conditions and increased pay against the white sugar barons. The union entered electoral politics for the first time in 1946 and Bird won, in a by-election, the ministerial system was introduced in 1956 and the Governor gave Bird the trade and production portfolio, and when further constitutional advancement came in 1960, he was named Chief Minister. Out of the split, the Antigua Workers Union was formed and later the Progressive Labour Movement, and Bird decided to resign because he felt it was not right to hold both positions. In 1968 the PLM won four seats in a by-election and by 1971 Bird was out of power having not only lost the government to the PLM, a former Lieutenant, the PLMs George Walter, became the islands new premier. He won the election again in 1980, this time with independence being a campaign plank. With his powerful family, he ruled Antigua and Barbuda up to 1994, Birds supporters reject these accusations and say that his actions were justified to throw off the institution of colonial sugar planters and the British colonial overlords. The Antiguan author Jamaica Kincaid compared the Bird government to the François Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti in her politically charged narrative A Small Place, Bird was among the early organizers of labour in colonial Antigua and Barbuda of the 1930s and 1940s. His biggest battles were fought in the industry, where he achieved better wages for workers. Bird, a tall, imposing figure even in his last years, was enough to recognise that those benefits would be limited as long as the big landowners held control of the government. Therefore, he encouraged the top executive of his union – the Antigua Trades

4.
Antigua and Barbuda
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Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island country in the Americas, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands. The permanent population numbers about 81,800 and the capital and largest port and city is St. Johns, on Antigua. Separated by a few miles, Antigua and Barbuda are in the middle of the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles. The countrys name was given by Christopher Columbus in 1493 after discovering the island, the country is nicknamed Land of 365 Beaches due to the many beaches surrounding the islands. Its governance, language, and culture have all been influenced by the British Empire. Antigua is Spanish for ancient and Barbuda is Spanish for bearded, the island of Antigua, originally called Waladli by Arawaks, is today called Wadadli by locals. Christopher Columbus, while sailing by in 1493 may have named it Santa Maria la Antigua, Antigua was first settled by archaic age hunter-gatherer Amerindians called the Siboney or Ciboney. Carbon dating has established the earliest settlements started around 3100 BC and they were succeeded by the ceramic age pre-Columbian Arawak-speaking Saladoid people who migrated from the lower Orinoco River. The Arawaks introduced agriculture, raising, among crops, the famous Antigua black pineapple, corn, sweet potatoes, chiles, guava, tobacco. The indigenous West Indians made excellent seagoing vessels which used to sail around on the Atlantic. As a result, Caribs and Arawaks were able to much of South America. Their descendants still live there, notably in Brazil, Venezuela, most Arawaks left Antigua around 1100 AD, those who remained were later raided by the Caribs. The Catholic Encyclopedia makes it clear that the European invaders had difficulty differentiating between the groups of the native peoples they encountered. As a result, the number and types of groups in existence at that time may have been much more varied. European and African diseases, malnutrition, and slavery eventually killed most of the Caribbeans native population, smallpox was probably the greatest killer. Some historians believe that the stress of slavery may also have played a part in the massive number of deaths amongst enslaved natives. Others believe the reportedly abundant but starchy, low-protein diet may have contributed to their severe malnutrition as they were used to a diet fortified with protein from the sea, the Spaniards did not colonise Antigua because it lacked fresh water but not aggressive Caribs

5.
Politics of Antigua and Barbuda
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Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the Parliament, the bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Antigua and Barbuda has a history of free elections, three of which have resulted in peaceful changes of government. Since the 1951 general election, the party system has been dominated by the Antigua Labour Party, for a time was dominated by the Bird family, particularly Prime Ministers Vere. The opposition claimed to be disadvantaged by the ALPs longstanding monopoly on patronage and its control of the media, the most recent elections to the House of Representatives were held on 12 June 2014. The Antigua Labour Party government was elected with fourteen seats, the United Progressive Party has three seats in the House of Representatives. Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the eastern Caribbean court system. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature, jurisprudence is based on English common law. As head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is represented in Antigua and Barbuda by a general who acts on the advice of the prime minister. Antigua and Barbuda elects on national level a legislature, the House of Representatives has 19 members,17 members elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies,1 ex-officio member and 1 Speaker. The Senate has 17 appointed members, the prime minister is the leader of the majority party in the House and conducts affairs of state with the cabinet. The prime minister and the cabinet are responsible to the Parliament, elections must be held at least every five years but may be called by the prime minister at any time. There are special provisions to account for Barbudas low population relative to that of Antigua. Barbuda is guaranteed one member of the House of Representatives and two members of the Senate, in addition, there is a Barbuda Council to govern the internal affairs of the island. 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*, Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. This court is headquartered in Saint Lucia, but at least one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Antigua and Barbuda, the current High Court judges are Jennifer Remy and Keith Thom. Antigua is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice and its supreme appellate court therefore remains the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Indeed, of the signatories to the Agreement, as of December 2010, in addition to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Antigua and Barbuda has a Magistrates Court, which deals with lesser civil and criminal cases

6.
Monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda
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Antigua and Barbuda is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch since 1 November 1981. As such she is Antigua and Barbudas sovereign and officially called Queen of Antigua, most of the Queens powers in Antigua and Barbuda are exercised by the Governor-General, presently Rodney Williams, though the Monarch does hold several powers that are hers alone. Parts of the territories that today comprise Antigua and Barbuda were claimed under King Charles I in 1632, the country was proclaimed fully independent, via constitutional patriation, by Queen Elizabeth II in 1981. Sixteen states within the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations are known as Commonwealth realms and Antigua, despite sharing the same person as their respective national monarch, each of the Commonwealth realms is sovereign and independent of the others. The Monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution, although it has often been called British since for reasons historical, legal, and of convenience. The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act,1927 was the first indication of this shift in law and this situation applies symmetrically in all the other realms, including the UK. On all matters of the Antiguan and Barbudian state, the Monarch is advised solely by Antiguan and Barbudian ministers, effective with the patriation of Antigua and Barbudas Constitution, no British or other realm government can advise the Monarch on any matters pertinent to Antigua and Barbuda. In Antigua and Barbuda, the Queens official title is, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Antigua and Barbuda and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. Typically, the Sovereign is styled Queen of Antigua and Barbuda, antiguans and Barbudians do not pay any money to the Queen, either for personal income or to support the royal residences outside of Antigua and Barbuda. Only when the Queen is in Antigua and Barbuda, or acting abroad as Queen of Antigua and Barbuda and this rule applies equally to other members of the Royal Family. The heir apparent is Elizabeth IIs eldest son, Charles, the Governor-General is expected to proclaim him King of Antigua and Barbuda upon his accession to the Throne upon the demise of the Crown. Succession to the throne is by male-preference primogeniture, and governed by the provisions of the Act of Settlement and these documents, though originally passed by the Parliament of England, are now part of Antiguan and Barbudian constitutional law, under control of the Antiguan and Barbudian parliament only. As such, the rules for succession are not fixed, as Antigua and Barbudas laws governing succession are currently identical to those of the United Kingdom see Succession to the British Throne for more information. Upon a demise in the Crown his or her heir immediately and automatically succeeds, nevertheless, it is customary for the accession of the Sovereign to be publicly proclaimed. After an appropriate period of mourning has passed, the Sovereign is also crowned in Westminster Abbey, a coronation is not necessary for a Sovereign to rule, for example, Edward VIII was never crowned, yet was undoubtedly King during his short reign. After an individual ascends the Throne, he or she continues to reign until death, Monarchs are not allowed to unilaterally abdicate, no Antiguan and Barbudian monarch has abdicated. The new constitution for Antigua and Barbuda was made by Order in Council under the West Indies Act 1967 and it came into operation on 31st October 1981. It is important to note that the Royal Prerogative belongs to the Crown, although the Royal Prerogative is extensive, it is not unlimited

7.
Elizabeth II
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Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. Elizabeth was born in London as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake duties during the Second World War. Elizabeths many historic visits and meetings include a visit to the Republic of Ireland. She has seen major changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation. She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms and she is the worlds oldest reigning monarch as well as Britains longest-lived. In October 2016, she became the longest currently reigning monarch, in 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the family, however, support for the monarchy remains high. Elizabeth was born at 02,40 on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather and her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York, was the second son of the King. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and she was delivered by Caesarean section at her maternal grandfathers London house,17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. Elizabeths only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, the two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford, who was casually known as Crawfie. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature and music, Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margarets childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeths love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, others echoed such observations, Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant and her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. During her grandfathers reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father, the Duke of York. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become queen, many people believed that he would marry and have children of his own. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second-in-line to the throne, later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeths father became king, and she became heir presumptive, if her parents had had a later son, she would have lost her position as first-in-line, as her brother would have been heir apparent and above her in the line of succession

8.
Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda
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The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda is the viceregal representative of the Monarch of Antigua and Barbuda, currently being Queen Elizabeth II. The official residence of the Governor-General is Government House, the office of Governor-General is provided for by Chapter III, Sections 22 to 26 of the Constitution. These state, List of Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda List of colonial governors and administrators of Antigua Georgetown University http, //www. rulers. org/rula2. html#antigua_and_barbuda

9.
House of Representatives (Antigua and Barbuda)
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The House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda is the lower chamber of the countrys bicameral parliament. The current House of Representatives, formed following elections held on 12 June 2014, has a total of 19 members,17 members are directly elected to five-year terms from single member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system. There is one ex officio member and the seat is held by the Speaker. Template, Antigua and Barbuda general election,2014 The following are the current members of the Antigua and Barbuda House of Representatives

10.
Foreign relations of Antigua and Barbuda
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The country agreed to contribute personnel to the multinational force which restored the democratically elected government of Haiti in October 1994. In May 1997, Prime Minister Bird joined 14 other Caribbean leaders and President Clinton for the first-ever US-regional summit in Bridgetown, the summit strengthened the basis for regional co-operation on justice and counter-narcotics issues, finance and development, and trade. Antigua and Barbuda is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military, disputes – international, none Illicit drugs, considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe, more significant as a drug-money-laundering center. Relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States have been friendly since Antigua and Barbudas independence from the United Kingdom in 1981, the United States has supported the Government of Antigua and Barbudas effort to expand its economic base and to improve its citizens standard of living. However, concerns over the lack of regulation of the financial services sector prompted the US Government to issue a financial advisory for Antigua. The advisory was lifted in 2001, but the US Government continues to monitor the Government of Antigua, US assistance is primarily channelled through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank, as well as through the USAID office in Bridgetown, Barbados. Antigua and Barbuda is strategically situated in the Leeward Islands near maritime transport lanes of major importance to the United States, Antigua has long hosted a US military presence. A former US Navy support facility, turned over to the Government of Antigua, Antigua and Barbudas location close to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico makes it an attractive transshipment point for narcotics traffickers. In addition, Antigua and Barbuda receives counter-narcotics assistance and benefits from US military exercise-related, in 2005, Antigua and Barbuda had 239,804 stay-over visitors, with nearly 28% of Antigua and Barbudas visitors coming from the United States. It is estimated that 4,500 Americans reside in the country, in 2005 both countries disputed a World Trade Organization ruling over gambling law. Nevertheless, relations between the two countries are still strong, the United States maintains no official presence in Antigua. The ambassador and embassy officers are resident in Barbados and travel to Antigua frequently, however, a US consular agent resident in Antigua assists US citizens in Antigua and Barbuda. The US Embassy in Barbados is located in the Wildey Business Park, Wildey, Antigua and Barbuda enjoys close relations with Venezuela. As of June 2009 it became a member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas international co-operation organisation. In 2009 Antigua and Barbuda received US$50 million from Venezuela because of the membership of these initiatives. The establishment of relations between the Republic of Korea and the Antigua and Barbuda started on 1 November 1981. Antigua and Barbuda-Philippines relations refers to relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the Philippines. They established their relations on July 16,2010, List of diplomatic missions in Antigua and Barbuda List of diplomatic missions of Antigua and Barbuda Caribbean Chancery in Washington, D. C. S

11.
Head of government
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The term head of government is often differentiated from the term head of state, as they may be separate positions, individuals, and/or roles depending on the country. In parliamentary systems, including constitutional monarchies, the head of government is the de facto leader of the government. For example, in the United Kingdom, the prime minister advises the Queen on the appointment of the cabinet, advice she is required to accept. On the other hand, the Queens long service as the head of state enables her to provide the prime minister with information and insight into many matters to better run the government. However, because the United Kingdom is a monarchy, the Prime Minister uses his or her own discretion regarding whether or not to follow the Queens advice. The Queen also is entitled to appoint a new Prime Minister, in presidential republics or in absolute monarchies, the head of state is also usually the head of government. The relationship between that leader and the government, however, can vary greatly, ranging from separation of powers to autocracy, in semi-presidential systems, the head of government may answer to both the head of state and the legislature, with the specifics provided by each countrys constitution. A modern example is the present French government, which originated as the French Fifth Republic in 1958, in France, the president, the head of state, appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government. In some cases, the head of state may represent one political party, in this case, known as cohabitation, the prime minister, along with the cabinet, controls domestic policy, with the presidents influence is largely restricted to foreign affairs. In directorial systems, the executive responsibilities of the head of government are spread among a group of people, a prominent example is the Swiss Federal Council, where each member of the council heads a department and also votes on proposals relating to all departments. A common title for many heads of government is prime minister, various constitutions use different titles, and even the same title can have various multiple meanings, depending on the constitutional order and political system of the state in question. In addition to prime minister, titles used for the democratic model, some of these titles relate to governments below the national level. Have been used by various Empires, Kingdoms and Princely States of India as a title for the Prime Minister, maltese, In Malta, the head of government is Prim Ministru. In this case, the prime minister serves at the pleasure of the monarch, some such titles are diwan, mahamantri, pradhan, wasir or vizier. However, just because the head of state is the de jure dominant position does not mean that he/she will not always be the de facto political leader, in some cases, the head of state is a figurehead whilst the head of the government leads the ruling party. In some cases a head of government may even pass on the title in hereditary fashion, the ability to vote down legislative proposals of the government. Control over or ability to vote down fiscal measures and the budget, all of these requirements directly impact the Head of governments role. Many parliamentary systems require ministers to serve in parliament, while others ban ministers from sitting in parliament, heads of government are typically removed from power in a parliamentary system by Resignation, following, Defeat in a general election

12.
Antigua Labour Party
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The Antigua Labour Party is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua, the party had previously been led by Lester Bird, who was chairman of the party since 1971, and became Prime Minister and political leader in 1994. The party was founded by Lesters father, V. C, the ALP has traditionally largely been seen as the political arm of the Bird family. With the exception of five years in the 1970s, the ALP ruled Antigua and it was in opposition from 2004 to 2014, and it has been in power again since 2014 since winning a majority of the seats in the Legislature following the 2014 general election. Two major events precipitated the ALPs first defeat in 28 years in the 2004 election, the first was the introduction of the Electoral Commission after the 1999 election. According to international observers, the 1999 election was rife with irregularities, the second was the Medical Benefits Scandal. Under the watch of the ALP Government, the government of Antigua, the opposition United Progressive Party campaigned on an anti-corruption platform they called Government in the Sunshine. After 28 years in power, the ALP was widely perceived to be corrupt, the ALP lost its majority in the general election held on 24 March 2004. It received 41. 8% of the vote, but only four out of 17 seats. ALP Prime Minister and political leader Lester Bird was also defeated in his constituency, in early 2009, the Antigua Labour Party faced an internal leadership crisis. The ageing Lester Bird announced that if the ALP failed to win the forthcoming 2009 general election, there had been speculation that even if the ALP won the 2009 election, Birds leadership would be challenged. Nevertheless, as of December 2011, Bird remains ALP leader, the Antigua Labour Party won 14 of the 17 seats in the Legislature in the 2014 general election, thus forming a majority government

13.
George Walter
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Sir George Herbert Walter, KNH was an Antiguan politician of the Progressive Labour Movement and Premier of Antigua and Barbuda from 14 February 1971 to 1 February 1976. Walter won Premiership in the 1971 elections, defeating Vere Bird four years after the colony became a British dependency with domestic autonomy and he advocated full independence for Antigua and Barbuda and opposed a British proposal to make Antigua and Barbuda an island federation. He was defeated in the 1976 elections by Bird, the PLM headed the government from 1971 to 1976. During his tenure as premier of Antigua and Barbuda, Walter was the representative of All Saints, in all, he had 10 years in government – five as premier and the other five as leader of the opposition. After the 1982 elections, he gave up politics and went back to his cattle farm, after being defeated, Walter was convicted of allegedly selling metal illegally to the Antiguan government. He was imprisoned for three months whilst his rivals came up with a case against him and it was successfully appealed to the West Indies Court of Appeal, which ruled it groundless. They had five children Sharon, Paul, Senator Gregory Walter, George Walter died on 4 March 2008, aged 79, in St. Johns. His cause of death was stated by his younger brother Selvyn to be a heart attack, George Walter had been hospitalised for about a week. In 2008, he was made a Knight of the Order of the National Hero by his native country Antigua

14.
Progressive Labour Movement
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The Progressive Labour Movement was a major political party in Antigua and Barbuda and, until the 2000s, was the only political party to have defeated the Antigua Labour Party in an election. In the 1971 election, it won 57. 7% of the vote and 13 of the 17 seats in the House of Representatives, the first time the Antigua Labour Party had lost an election. A series of scandals involving PLM ministers, together with a severe economic downturn caused by the Oil Shock. Nevertheless, it managed to win a plurality of votes in the 1976 elections. However, despite receiving the most votes, it won five seats. In the 1980 elections, the party lost more support, a further slump saw them lose their parliamentary representation following the 1984 elections, in which they received only 356 votes. It did not contest the 1989 elections and, in 1992 it was one of three parties merged to form the United Progressive Party

15.
Lester Bird
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Sir Lester Bryant Bird, KNH was the second Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004 and a well-known athlete. He was chairman of the Antigua Labour Party from 1971 to 1983, then became Prime Minister when his father, Sir Vere Bird, Bird was born in New York City on 21 February 1938. Lester and his elder brother Vere Bird, Jr and he was educated at Antigua Grammar School and was brought up as a Methodist. Bird was a player in his youth, playing for the Leeward Islands. He won a medal in the long jump at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago while representing the British West Indies. He attended the University of Michigan, where he was All-American long jumper in 1960, Bird completed his study of law in Britain and was called to the bar at Grays Inn in 1969. From 1969 to 1976, Bird engaged in practice in Antigua. Birds political career began in 1971, when he was nominated to the Senate, the frequently-dominant Antigua Labour Party was in opposition for a five-year period. Bird was named chairman of the ALP and the leader of the opposition in the Senate, Lester continued to served as leader of the opposition until he was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1976 elections, when the ALP returned to power. Bird joined his fathers government as Deputy Prime Minister, in addition to serving as Deputy Prime Minister, Bird also served as Minister of Economic Development, Tourism, and Energy. Following independence in 1981, Bird gained the external affairs portfolio and was the first chairman of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States in 1982 and he was chairman of OECS for a second time in 1989. The ALP government and Bird himself won re-election in 1994 and 1999, the ALP had been divided by a succession crisis between Lester Bird and Vere Bird, Jr. since 1989. Lester Bird lost his deputy prime minister post in 1991, but retained the external affairs ministry, following a successful general strike called by the UPP, Sir Vere announced in March 1992 he would step down at the 1994 general elections. The ALP leadership question was settled at the partys September 1993 convention, at which Lester won the leadership of the party. The party post of ALP chairman went to Vere Jr, in the March 1994 elections, the ALP under Birds leadership won 11 out of 17 seats even as the opposition criticized the ALP over corruption issues. During the election the ALP pledged open government, an ombudsman to deal with citizen complaints, Bird assumed the prime ministership on March 9,1994. He appointed St. Luce to the cabinet, in the 1999 elections, the ALP increased its parliamentary majority by one seat, holding 12 seats. Bird was reconfirmed as prime minister and elevated Vere Jr. to the cabinet as minister of agriculture, marking his full political rehabilitation

16.
Baldwin Spencer
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For the anthropologist, see Walter Baldwin Spencer Winston Baldwin Spencer was the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 2004 to 2014. Spencer led the opposition United Progressive Party to victory in the March 2004 parliamentary election, in addition to serving as Prime Minister, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs on January 6,2005. Spencers party was swept from power in the June 2014 general election, Baldwin Spencer is rooted in labour. For a quarter-century, he was a prominent labour leader with the Antigua and he was first elected to Parliament in 1989 as the MP for the St. Johns Rural West constituency. In 1992, Spencer played a role in the formation of the United Progressive Party. Upon formation of the party, Spencer rose to become the leader of the party. As Opposition Leader Baldwin Spencer organized public demonstrations and went on a strike to advocate for electoral reform after the widely criticized 1999 elections. His advocacy led to the formation of an independent Electoral Commission to oversee elections in Antigua and he also led the fight to ensure that opposition had access to state-owned media, such as the television station, Antigua Broadcasting Service. To that end, he filed a writ and took the Bird Government to court arguing that, in a democratic society, in 2004, Baldwin Spencer led the United Progressive Party to a landslide victory in the general election. He defeated Lester Birds ALP, which had ruled Antigua and Barbuda for the previous 28 years, in Government he moved to enact a trio of good government reforms, a nationwide school meals programme, raising the minimum wage and paying all civil servants. Internationally Baldwin Spencer is known as a diplomat who helped his country assume the leadership of the Group of 77 in 2008. He received the highest order of Cote dIvoire, the Commander of the National Order, the UPP won the March 2009 election with a reduced majority of nine out of 17 seats. Spencer himself defeated ALP candidate Gail Christian in the St Johns Rural West constituency, Spencer said on this occasion that it would not be business as usual, and he was promptly sworn in for another term as Prime Minister when vote counting was completed. After 10 years in power, the UPP was defeated by the ALP in the election held on 12 June 2014. Out of 17 seats, the UPP retained only three, Spencer won re-election to his own seat by a narrow margin. Spencer accepted defeat, saying that the people had chosen the ALP. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by ALP leader Gaston Browne on 13 June, Prime Minister Spencer is married to Jacklyn Spencer and is the father of two children. List of foreign ministers in 2014 Biography Governments Official website

17.
United Progressive Party (Antigua and Barbuda)
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The United Progressive Party is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. Led by Baldwin Spencer, it was the party from 2004 to 2014. It has been in opposition since the 2014 election, each party was in opposition to the Antigua Labour Party government. Baldwin Spencer was chosen to lead the new party, at the 1994 general election, the party won 43.7 per cent of the vote and five seats in the House of Representatives. It became the largest opposition party, the UPP lost one seat to the Antigua Labour Party at the 1999 general election, despite increasing its vote to 44.5 per cent, after which it claimed fraud. At the 24 March 2004 general election, the UPP won government with 55.3 per cent of the vote and 12 out of 17 seats. Baldwin Spencer became the first Prime Minister from outside the Antigua Labour Party in its history as an independent state, the UPP campaigned in 2004 under the slogan Government in the Sunshine on an anti-corruption platform. Though the UPP won the 2009 general election with 51 and this judgement was subsequently over-ruled by the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal

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History of Antigua and Barbuda
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The history of Antigua and Barbuda can be separated into three distinct eras. In the first, the islands were inhabited by three successive Amerindian societies, the islands were neglected by the first wave of European colonisation, but were settled by England in 1632. Under British control, the islands witnessed an influx of both Britons and African slaves, in 1981, the islands were granted independence as the modern state of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua was first settled by pre-agricultural Amerindians known as Archaic People, the earliest settlements on the island date to 2900 BC. They were succeeded by ceramic-using agriculturalist Saladoid people who migrated up the chain from Venezuela. They were later replaced by Arawakan speakers around 1200 AD, the Arawaks were the first well-documented group of Antiguans. They paddled to the island by canoe from Venezuela, ejected by the Caribs—another people indigenous to the area, Arawaks introduced agriculture to Antigua and Barbuda, raising, among other crops, the famous Antiguan Black pineapple. For example, a popular Antiguan dish, Ducuna is a sweet, steamed dumpling made from grated potatoes, flour. In addition, one of the Antiguan staple foods, fungee, is a paste made of cornmeal. The bulk of the Arawaks left Antigua about 1100 A. D and those who remained were subsequently raided by the Caribs. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Caribs superior weapons and seafaring prowess allowed them to defeat most Arawak nations in the West Indies—enslaving some, the Catholic Encyclopedia does make it clear that the Spanish explorers had some difficulty identifying and differentiating between the various native peoples they encountered. As a result, the number and types of groups in existence at the time may be much more varied. According to A Brief History of the Caribbean, European and African diseases, malnutrition, no researcher has conclusively proven any of these causes as the real reason for the destruction of West Indian natives. In fact, some believe that the psychological stress of slavery may also have played a part in the massive number of native deaths while in servitude. Others believe that the abundant, but starchy, low-protein diet may have contributed to severe malnutrition of the Indians who were used to a diet fortified with protein from sea-life. The Indigenous West Indians made excellent sea vessels that used to sail the Atlantic. As a result, Caribs and Arawaks populated much of South American, relatives of the Antiguan Arawaks and Caribs still live in various countries in South America, notably Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. The smaller remaining native populations in the West Indies maintain a pride in their heritage, Christopher Columbus sighted islands in 1493 during his second voyage naming the larger one Santa Maria de la Antigua

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Geography of Antigua and Barbuda
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Antigua and Barbuda lie in the eastern arc of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. Antigua is 650 km southeast of Puerto Rico, Barbuda lies 48 km due north of Antigua, the largest island Antigua, is 21 km across and 281 km² in area. Barbuda covers 161 km² while Redonda encompasses a 2.6 km², the capital of Antigua and Barbuda is St. Johns, located at St. Johns Harbour on the northwest coast of Antigua. The principal city of Barbuda is Codrington, located on Codrington Lagoon, Antigua and Barbuda both are generally low-lying islands whose terrain has been influenced more by limestone formations than volcanic activity. The highest point on Antigua is Mount Obama, the remnant of a volcanic crater rising 402 metres and this mountain is located amid a bulge of hills of volcanic origin in the southwestern part of the island. The limestone formations in the northeast are separated from the volcanic area by a central plain of clay formations. Barbudas highest elevation is 42 metres, part of the plateau east of Codrington. The shorelines of both islands are greatly indented with beaches, lagoons, and natural harbours, the islands are rimmed by reefs and shoals. There are few streams as rainfall is slight, both islands lack adequate amounts of fresh groundwater. Neither Barbuda nor Redonda have any significant elevations, Antigua and Barbuda are located in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The open Atlantic Ocean lies to the north and east, there are many coral reefs in the vicinity of Antigua and Barbuda. The island of Guadeloupe lies to the south, on the far side of the Guadeloupe Passage from Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda is famous for its beaches, estimated at 365, particularly those on Antigua itself. The most noteworthy feature of Barbuda’s coastline is the lagoon on the western side of the island. The islands tropical climate is moderated by fairly constant northeast tradewinds, there is little precipitation because of the islands low elevations. Rainfall averages 990 mm per year, with the amount varying widely from season to season, in general the wettest period is between September and November. The islands generally experience low humidity and recurrent droughts, hurricanes strike on an average of once a year. Temperatures average 27 °C, with a range from 23 °C in the winter to 30 °C in the summer, the coolest period is between December and February. Its low humidity makes it one of the most temperate climates in the world, the sandy soil on much of the islands has only scrub vegetation

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Antigua
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Antigua, also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the West Indies. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 November 1981. Antigua means ancient in Spanish after an icon in Seville Cathedral, the name Waladli comes from the indigenous inhabitants and means approximately our own. The islands circumference is roughly 87 km and its area 281 km2, the economy is mainly reliant on tourism, with the agricultural sector serving the domestic market. Over 32,000 people live in the city, St. Johns. The capital is situated in the north-west and has a harbour which is able to accommodate large cruise ships. Other leading population settlements are All Saints and Liberta, according to the 2001 census, English Harbour on the south-eastern coast is famed for its protected shelter during violent storms. It is the site of a restored British colonial naval station called Nelsons Dockyard after Captain Horatio Nelson, today English Harbour and the neighbouring village of Falmouth are internationally famous as a yachting and sailing destination and provisioning centre. During Antigua Sailing Week, at the end of April and beginning of May, Antiguas economy is reliant upon tourism, and it promotes the island as a luxury Caribbean escape. Many hotels and resorts are located around the coastline, the only regular service to Barbuda flies from VC Bird Airport. Until July 7,2015, the United States Air Force maintained a base near the airport, designated Detachment 1, 45th Operations Group. The mission provided high rate telemetry data for the Eastern Range, the unit was inactivated due to US government budget cuts. The growing medical school and its students also add much to the economy, the University of Health Sciences Antigua and the American University of Antigua College of Medicine teach aspiring doctors. The countrys official currency is the East Caribbean dollar, given the dominance of tourism, many prices in tourist-oriented businesses are shown in US dollars. The EC dollar is pegged to the US dollar at a varied rate, prior to European colonialism, the first residents were the Guanahatabey people. Eventually, the Arawak migrated from the mainland, followed by the Carib, Christopher Columbus was the first European to visit Antigua, in 1493. The Arawak were the first well-documented group of people to settle Antigua. They paddled to the island by canoe from present-day Venezuela, pushed out by the Carib, the Arawak introduced agriculture to Antigua and Barbuda

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Barbuda
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Barbuda is an island in the Eastern Caribbean, and forms part of the state of Antigua and Barbuda. It has a population of about 1,638, most of live in the town of Codrington. Barbuda is located north of Antigua, in the middle of the Leeward Islands, to the south are the islands of Montserrat and Guadeloupe, and to the west and north west are Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Barts, and St. Martin. The Ciboney were the first to inhabit the island of Barbuda in 2400 BC, early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English, who formed a colony in 1666. In 1685 Barbuda was leased to brothers Christopher and John Codrington, the Codrington family produced food on their land in Barbuda, and also transported slaves as labour for their sugarcane plantations on Antigua. There was more than one slave rebellion at Codrington during the 1740s, all the slaves were freed in 1834. Despite a common belief, even by Barbudans themselves, the island was never used as a farm for slave-breeding experiments. At most, the Codringtons considered using Barbuda as a nursery, where children would be fed and cared for to then work on Antiguan plantations. In 1719, Codrington and the island of Barbuda had its first census, the first map of Barbuda was made in the second half of the 18th century. The map shows eight catching pens for holding captured runaway slaves, there were several defensive cannon gun battery units around the island perimeter. There was a plantation in the Meadow and Guava area. On November 1,1981, the island gained its independence as an part of Antigua and Barbuda. In a 1989 election the Barbuda Independence Movement received too few votes to qualify for a seat in the national parliament, Barbuda is home to the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, which is located in the Codrington Lagoon. Other points of interest include Highland House and the Indian Cave, barbudas climate and geography is conducive to tourism. Many tourists are attracted by the islands beaches, activities include a bird sanctuary, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and caving. Only two operating resorts are located on the island, the rest are abandoned after poor management, difficult infrastructure, the total land area is 160.56 km2. The capital and largest city is Codrington, with a population of 1,000. The island is mostly limestone with little topographical variation

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Barbuda Council
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The Barbuda Council is a local authority that manages day-to-day internal affairs on the island of Barbuda. The council administers and regulates agriculture, forestry, public health, public utilities and it also raises and collects revenue to meet expenses incurred in the performance of its functions. The Barbuda Council was established in 1976 by the Barbuda Local Government Act and it is an 11-member body consisting of nine directly elected and two ex officio members who serve four-year terms. Elections are held two years in March with four seats and five seats becoming vacant at alternative polls. An election was held on 23 March 2005 to select five council members, eleven candidates participated in the poll. The results of election are as follows,777 of the islands 893 registered voters participated in the election

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Flag of Antigua and Barbuda
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The national flag of Antigua and Barbuda was adopted on 27 February,1967 to mark the achievement of self-government. A competition to design the flag was held in more than 600 local people entered. The winning design was put forth by nationally acclaimed artist and sculptor Sir Reginald Samuel, the rising sun symbolises the dawning of a new era. The colours have different meanings, the black is for the African ancestry of the people, the blue for hope, the successive colouring of yellow, blue, and white also stands for the sun, sea, and sand. The blue also represents the Caribbean Sea, and the V-shape is the symbol of victory, the state ensign, which is used only by the national coast guard, consists of a white field, a red cross, and the state flag in the canton. Antigua and Barbuda at Flags of the World Antigua and Barbuda - Colonial Flags at Flags of the World

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Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force
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The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force is the armed force of Antigua and Barbuda. The ABDF is one of the worlds smallest militaries, consisting of 245 people and it is much better equipped for fulfilling its civil roles as opposed to providing a deterrence against would-be aggressors or in defending the nation during a war. The ABDF consists of four units, Antigua and Barbuda Regiment - comprises four line companies and is the infantry unit. Service and Support Unit - provides administrative, logistic and engineer support to the rest of the defence force, in 199012 soldiers were sent to Trinidad after a failed coup attempt by radical Black Muslims against the constitutionally elected government headed by Prime Minister A. N. R. In 1995 members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force were deployed in Haiti as a part of Operation Uphold Democracy, united Kingdom - The Mercian Regiment Article on the ABDF by Dr Dion Phillips